Diablo 3 Guide: How To Kill Diablo

[Archangel Tyrael]

Diablo, The Lord of Terror, is risen from the depths of the Burning Hells to end the world of man and it's up to you to stop him. But you needn't feel alone. We at G4 are here to guide you through the Diablo 3boss fight against the Prime Evil himself, Diablo. Want to know how to kill Diablo in Diablo 3? We'll give you all the necessary tips and tricks to survive the Diablo battle.

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First of all, congratulations on making it this far! You've climbed the steps of the tallest tower in all of existence to reach the Crystal Arch, where Angels are born. This very special place is what remains of the creator Anu, whos body forms the High Heavens. This also makes it a strategic target for the Lord of Terror, and should you fail, its destruction will spell the doom of all things. No pressure.

In other words: Good luck!

First, let's take a look at Diablo's stats, broken down by difficulty.

Normal: Diablo is level 30 on Normal difficulty, with 127,000 health. He grants those who defeat him 925 XP as well as various treasure. He has no special traits or resistances.

 

Nightmare: Diablo is level 50 on Nightmare difficulty, with 2,688,000 health. Quite a jump from the previous difficulty! He grants 3400 XP and various treasure. He has no special traits or resistances.

 

Hell: Diablo is level 60 on Hell difficulty, with 19,304,000 health(!) Putting this monster down will net you 7750 XP and some sweet loot for the hardest difficulty in Diablo 3, Inferno. He has no special traits or resistances.

 

Inferno: Diablo is level 63 on Inferno difficulty, with a whopping 76,499,000 health. At this point you've exceeded every limitation a human being should be capable of, yet you'll still be rewarded with 8000 XP and some ultra fantastic treasure. Even on this, the hardest boss fight of Diablo 3, he still has no special traits or resistances.

 

On all difficulties, the tactics and fight against Diablo remain the same, as do Diablo's abilities and attacks. In addition to standard melee attacks, Diablo can also use:

 

Ground Stomp: This attack radiates damage in all directions, so don't stick close to Diablo for too long. It inflicts one-time damage when it hits.

 

Charge: A basic attack that tramples over anything in its way, Charge will allow Diablo to cover immense distances, taking away any safety you may have felt at range during this fight. More of a nuisance than a real worry, Charge is there mostly to keep you on your toes and be spatially aware.

 

Ring of Fire: And you thought listening to the song stuck in the backseat of your parents' van was torture. This Ring of Fire will deal continuous fire damage as it sets your hero aflame. In later phases and higher difficulties, these can be cast in rapid succession, overlapping one another. Steer clear!

 

Hell Spikes: While the spikes themselves don't do any damage, Diablo's Hell Spikes will encase your character in a cage, trapping him/her there until the demon lord makes his way to them, grabs hold, and slams them into the ground for massive damage, as well as the Curse of Destruction debuff. The ground will turn dark where they are about to appear, so always be on the move.

 

Shadow Vanish Grab: This is technically the grab mentioned above that gives the Curse of Destruction debuff, which deals damage over time to your character and any allies as well. Wham!

 

Shadow Clones: In the second phase of the final battle against Diablo, the setting shifts to the Realm of Terror. Here you'll face plenty of adds, just like the first phase, but every now and again Diablo will summon a shadowy doppelganger of your hero. They have access to the same Passive and Active Skills as your class, even ones you may not have equipped.

 

Overdrive: For the final phase of the Diablo fight in Diablo 3, the Lord of Terror will spam attacks and spells with increased power, speed, and smaller cooldowns thanks to being in Overdrive mode.

 

Lightning Breath: During the final phase, Diablo will also unleash his most devastating attack, Lightning Breath. Diablo will spray this foul attack across the stage in a 180-degree arc, and if you get hit, prepare to pay big time. If you're not protected against non-physical damage in this fight, it can even kill you instantly.

 

So now that you know what the Prime Evil is capable of, how do you protect yourself against such power? Well, since Diablo comes from the Burning Hells and many of his attacks revolve around fire, you'll want to buff up on fire resistance. Diablo's Lightning Breath can be an insta-kill if you're not protected against non-physical damage with Passive Skills or Spell Runes.

 

In other words, don't try to go for a glass cannon-style approach. The best tactics to use in the final fight of Diablo 3 include being patient, avoiding or weathering attacks, and hit-and-run damage dealing. You want to spec for survivability, not badassery against Diablo.

In fact, here are some suggested builds for each class to help you survive Diablo's onslaught. Note: each of these builds are for characters who have reached at least level 30.

Barbarian: For the best Barbarian Skills against Diablo, equip Pound of Flesh, Bloodthirst, and Superstition in your Passive slots. Pound of Flesh and Bloodthirst will help keep your hit points up, and Supserstition will help you survive should you be hit by an attack. As for Active Skills, go for Sprint, Overpower, Bash, Weapon Throw, Call of the Ancients, and Hammer of the Ancients.

 

Demon Hunter: For the best Demon Hunter Skills against Diablo, use Vengeance, Brooding, and Steady Aim as Passives. Vengeance and Brooding will help you stay alive so long as you avoid Diablo's attacks, and Steady Aim will keep you firing from outside his melee range. For Active Skills, equip Cluster Arrow, Entangling Shot, Impale, Marked for Death, Shadow Power, and Vault.

 

Monk: The best Monk Skills against Diablo will be, as above, those that balance survivability with damage. Go for Chant of Resonance, Exalted Soul, and Transcendence for your Passive Skills. Combining Transcendence and Exalted Soul will turn your Spirit into a practical second health bar, while Chant of Resonance will help keep you from running dry. For best Active Skills, use Mantra of Conviction, Mystic Ally, Serenity, Exploding Palm, Wave of Light, and Way of the Hundred Fists.

 

Witch Doctor: To choose the best Witch Doctor Skills against Diablo, go for Jungle Fortitude, Zombie Handler, and Spiritual Attunement as your Passive selection. Zombie Handler will give you extra ammo against your foes, while Jungle Fortitude will keep you and your dogs alive. Spiritual Attunement meanwhile will keep you from running out of Mana should you need to summon more. For Active Skills, try Summon Zombie Dogs, Firebats, Fetish Army, Spirit Barrage, Sacrifice, and Haunt.

 

Wizard: When selecting the best Wizard Skills against Diablo, you'll need to balance resources, health, and damage dealing. Use Blur, Astral Presence, and Cold Blooded. Blur and Astral Presence will keep you up and fighting, while Cold Blooded is great against Diablo, who can be chilled or frozen. With regards to Active Skills, go for Ray of Frost, Blizzard, Storm Armor, Archon, Teleport, and Spectral Blade.

Okay, so now you know your enemy's tactics, his abilities, and what you can do to prepare against him, but what do you actually do during the fight? There are three phases to the fight against Diablo, each more difficult and adrenaline-pumping than the last.

 

For the first phase, Diablo will start off pretty basic. Adds will spawn while Diablo casts Ring of Fire and Hell Spikes. Avoid these as best you can, weaving in and out to make your way to attack range and get a few hits in before retreating. Stick to the edges of the map as best you can, taking a moment to fill up at the health wells on either side. Each of these has a 30-second cooldown, so the waiting line isn't too bad. Just don't abuse them!

 

Once you've knocked Diablo down to 50% health, he will teleport to you and suck you both into the Realm of Terror. This shadow world can be difficult to see through and seem suffocating, but your tactics should remain mostly the same. There are more adds here however, so use AoE attacks or summonable allies to help you deal damage to Diablo while you manage the other enemies.

 

Every time you chip off a third of Diablo's health, he will summon a Shadow Clone of your hero. With the damage these doppelgangers can deal out, it's almost better to focus on them and burn them down quickly than fighting Diablo himself. No worries, they go down pretty quick.

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Finally, once you've defeated Diablo's shadow in the Realm of Terror, you'll return to the Crystal Arch. Now fully energized and ready to stomp you into dust, Diablo will go into Overdrive, increasing his casting capabilities. Your tactics should stay the same, though it will be harder and harder to get a shot in, especially without taking damage yourself. The only new thing to watch out for here is Diablo's Lightning Breath, which sweeps across the field in a slowly turning 180-degree arc. If there is one thing you don't want to get hit by, it's that.

 

Don't get greedy and hang around inside Diablo's melee range too long, keep a careful eye on your health, don't be afraid to prolong the fight by sipping from the health wells or downing potions, and eventually the Prime Evil will topple. It's a slow, painful and risky fight, but he wouldn't be the Lord of Terror if it wasn't, would he?

 

Slay the beast, save the High Heavens, and become a hero! You've just learned how to kill Diablo and complete the final act of Diablo 3! Now let's crack our knuckles, pop open a new energy drink, and do it all over again on the next highest difficulty. Woo!

[gRaViJa]

Hey, well written guide, this is. It's of professional level almost like this Inferno Codex guide: http://www.gravity-games.org/diablo-3-inferno-codex-guide

(which I find the best Diablo 3 guide available)

[italus]

already took him down in Normal , almost done with act2 on Nightmare ill be check to come back here when i am at diablo on Nightmare the game is great except the all the timer server disconnects because blizzard knew this was going to happen but did not prepare well enough zzz